Chilling and Infusion Insert for Beverage Container

Abstract

A combined chilling and infusing insert for use with a beverage container includes a compartment and is insertable within, and may also be releasably attachable to, the beverage container for simultaneously chilling a beverage contained in the container while infusing a flavoring substance into the beverage. The compartment includes at least two sections which are isolated from each other by a shared partition. A first section is bounded around the outer periphery of the compartment by a wall that is substantially impervious to liquid, such as water, and a second section is similarly bounded by a wall containing at least one opening, and preferably a plurality of openings such as slits to allow the beverage to be infused with material contained in the second section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insert for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, the insert comprising:
 a bottom member having an inside surface, an outside surface and a continuous edge;   a continuous side wall having an inside surface and an outside surface and connected to the continuous edge of the bottom member at a first end, the side wall having a second end distally disposed from the first end, the second end forming a mouth such that a chamber is defined between the inside surface of the bottom member and the inside surface of the side wall, the continuous side wall having a first region and a second region;   a divider wall connected to the inside surface of the bottom member and extending towards the mouth, the divider wall separating a first portion of the chamber bounded by the first region of the continuous side wall and the bottom member from a second portion of the chamber bounded by the second region of the continuous side wall and the bottom member, wherein the bottom member in the second portion of the chamber is solid;   the first region of the continuous side wall having an opening extending between the inside surface and the outside surface of the continuous side wall for allowing fluid in the first portion of the chamber to flow through the opening in the first region of the continuous side wall;   the second region of the continuous side wall preventing communication of fluid from the second portion of the chamber through the second region of the continuous side wall;   wherein when material is disposed in the first portion of the chamber, and the insert is immersed in the beverage, the beverage will communicate with the material through the first region of the continuous side wall but will not communicate with the material through the second region of the continuous side wall or the bottom member in the second portion of the chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the material disposed in the first portion of the chamber is a flavor infusing material. 
     
     
         3 . The insert according to  claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the chamber is configured to accept a second material, wherein when the second material is disposed in the second portion of the chamber, and the insert is immersed in the beverage, the beverage will be prevented from communicating with the second material through the second region of the continuous side wall and will not communicate with the second material through the first region of the continuous side wall. 
     
     
         4 . The insert according to  claim 3 , wherein the second material is a cooling material. 
     
     
         5 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the insert, in the region of the mouth, has an attachment/detachment mechanism configured to detachably attach the insert to an engagement portion of the container, or to a standalone cap for sealing the mouth of the insert. 
     
     
         6 . The insert according to  claim 5 , wherein the attachment/detachment mechanism is one selected from the group consisting of a threading, a snap-fit mechanism and a friction fit engagement mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the insert is of unitary construction. 
     
     
         8 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the insert is made of one selected from the group consisting of food-storage grade plastic and food-storage grade metal. 
     
     
         9 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening in the first region of the continuous side wall comprises a plurality of openings. 
     
     
         10 . The insert according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of openings are configured as slits of the same size. 
     
     
         11 . The insert according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of openings have respective different sizes. 
     
     
         12 . The insert according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of openings are holes. 
     
     
         13 . The insert according to  claim 12 , wherein the holes are all of the same size. 
     
     
         14 . The insert according to  claim 12 , wherein at least some of the holes have respective different sizes. 
     
     
         15 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the top of the insert has a flange which is dimensioned for seating at a mouth of the container in which the insert is disposed. 
     
     
         16 . The insert according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom member has holes/slits on the side of the first portion of the chamber but is solid on the side of the second portion of the chamber. 
     
     
         17 . A combination beverage container and insert, comprising:
 a beverage container having:
 a container body configured to hold a beverage, the container body having an opening through which the container is fillable with a beverage; and 
 a container cap configured to detachably seal the opening of the container body; and 
   an insert configured to be detachably attachable to the beverage container, the insert having:
 a bottom member having an inside surface, an outside surface and a continuous edge; 
 a continuous side wall having an inside surface and an outside surface and connected to the continuous edge of the bottom member at a first end, the side wall having a second end distally disposed from the first end, the second end forming a mouth such that a chamber is defined between the inside surface of the bottom member and the inside surface of the side wall, the continuous side wall having a first region and a second region; 
 a divider wall connected to the inside surface of the bottom member and extending towards the mouth, the divider wall separating a first portion of the chamber bounded by the first region of the continuous side wall and the bottom member from a second portion of the chamber bounded by the second region of the continuous side wall and the bottom member, wherein the bottom member in the second portion of the chamber is solid; 
 the first region of the continuous side wall having an opening extending between the inside surface and the outside surface of the continuous side wall for allowing fluid in the first portion of the chamber to flow through the opening in the first region of the continuous side wall; 
 the second region of the continuous side wall preventing communication of fluid from the second portion of the chamber through the second region of the continuous side wall; 
 wherein when material is disposed in the first portion of the chamber, and the insert is immersed in the beverage, the beverage will communicate with the material through the first region of the continuous side wall but will not communicate with the material through the second region of the continuous side wall or the bottom member in the second portion of the chamber. 
   
     
     
         18 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the material disposed in the first portion of the chamber is a flavor infusing material. 
     
     
         19 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 18 , wherein the second portion of the chamber is configured to accept a second material, wherein when the second material is disposed in the second portion of the chamber, and the insert is immersed in the beverage, the beverage will be prevented from communicating with the second material through the second region of the continuous side wall and will not communicate with the second material through the first region of the continuous side wall. 
     
     
         20 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 19 , wherein the second material is a cooling material. 
     
     
         21 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the insert, in the region of the mouth, has an attachment/detachment mechanism configured to detachably attach the insert to an engagement portion of the container. 
     
     
         22 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 21 , wherein the attachment/detachment mechanism is one selected from the group consisting of a threading, a snap-fit mechanism and a friction fit engagement mechanism. 
     
     
         23 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the insert is made of one selected from the group consisting of food-storage grade plastic and food-storage grade metal. 
     
     
         24 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the opening in the first region of the continuous side wall comprises a plurality of openings. 
     
     
         25 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the top of the insert has a flange which is dimensioned for seating at a mouth of the container in which the insert is disposed. 
     
     
         26 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the bottom member has holes/slits on the side of the first portion of the chamber but is solid on the side of the second portion of the chamber. 
     
     
         27 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the container opening is used to remove beverage from the container. 
     
     
         28 . The combination beverage container and insert according  claim 17 , wherein the container further comprises a spigot configured to remove beverage from the container.